The Subaru Crosstrek Sport of 2021 offers a small SUV that is safe, capable and easy to maneuver. Off-road enthusiasts will also appreciate the many off-road features of the crossover, including an X-Mode and hill-descent controls that help keep you out of trouble in tough terrain.
It's rare that an automaker would put a vehicle as small and light on the road as the Crosstrek, but Subaru does it well. The Crosstrek's simple styling means it doesn't attempt to be more than it really is. This gives the SUV its own unique personality and appeal.
This crossover is rugged, and that's why it's a good choice for families on an adventure. We took the Crosstrek for a short drive in the desert. Its AWD system and hill-descent-control proved indispensable to get us through the rough terrain.
As with all Subarus, the 2021 Crosstrek comes with a range of safety features. This includes an EyeSight advanced driver assist system as standard, which offers forward-collision, automatic emergency breaking, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, along with adaptive cruise and lane guiding assistance. This is a great addition and we hope Subaru continues to offer it as standard.
Crosstrek comes with 182 horsepower, and 176 foot-pounds of torque. It's a big improvement over the 2.0-liter in the base model, and we were glad to have this larger engine.
The new engine is not much more powerful than its predecessor, but it reaches the powerband much faster. It is not very fast, but strong enough to help the crossover move quickly and smoothly through traffic.
It's very efficient. Crosstrek has a range of up to 100 kilometres per tank, which makes it more efficient than its rivals.
The crossover offers plenty of space for both passengers and cargo. Its rear seat has generous headroom of 39.8 inches and legroom of 43.1 inches. The seats are very comfortable too thanks to a generous amount of cushioning, and supportive bolstering.
You'll find a small pocket and bin under the center dashboard lid, but neither is as large as a glovebox. There's also a rear fold-down armrest, but that takes up a significant chunk of the space in the back.
The Crosstrek is a great option for modern drivers. It offers a 11.6-inch touchscreen with the Starlink infotainment, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone compatibility. Although we would have preferred a touchscreen with a larger set of apps and a higher price, this is still the best way to get a lot of high-tech features in a small SUV.